Friday, January 30, 2009

Still been too busy to play any real poker. Some SnGs here and there but no tournaments or ring games for any duration. That may change on Saturday. I will be stuck waiting for furniture to be delivered. They gave me the 3 hour window between 10 and 1. I am sure they could pinpoint it a bit better but they believe that by giving me an indication of delivery they were doing me a favor.

As much as I would to see them lose, I am taking the Steelers -7 this weekend as well. I do not expect this game to be close. It will be like the Colts/Bears game of two years ago. Easy money by taking Pitt.

Monday, January 26, 2009

I played some poker this weekend. Ok, just one SnG in which I went out in 6th when some weenie's 9s cracked my kings.

But I did find something more important. I have decided to follow suit with the people in the video and make a pledge. I figure if weenies like Camron Diaz or Ashton Kutcher can make a pledge to Obama, I can too.

Monday, January 12, 2009

I first saw Metallica play at Alpine Valley in 1988. They were part of the Monsters of Rock tour that included Kindom Come, Dokken, the Scorpions and headliner Van Halen. At the time I was just a bit familiar with the music, having heard Master of Puppets in a friend's room of South Scott Hall at UW-Oshkosh. I also was familiar with Fade to Black. My sister was playing it that summer as well. I was most interested in seeing the Scorps and Van Halen. But it would be Metallica who would steal the show.

I distinctly remember the scene. Late afternoon, sitting on the hill. Lots of young people around wearing their brand new Van Halen shirts. The sun was hot and would soon take its toll on those who did not drink enough water. Metallica hit the stage and started playing. It wasn't a big reaction at first but as they went on, a buzz came rose from the crowd of over 40,000. You could feel the energy building as the set went on.

It all blew up when the cranked into Master of Puppets. It was like a volcano. Molten lave collecting under the earth's crust and rising towards the surface, eventually exploding into the air above. Though it was lava in the air that day at Alpine Vally. It was 40,000 fists in the air, thrusting with every chord. It was the chants of Master, Master! It was the moshing all over the place as the band won the crowd over and people were eating it up.

As the place was going nuts, I noticed two kids to the left of me. Maybe 12 or 13 years old. They were displaying their brand new black Van Halen shirts proudly minutes ago. Now they just stood there, mouths gaping open in awe as the crowd went bonkers. They did not know what to make of it. They were frozen in time as the spectacle before them.

I would see Metallica the next spring on the And Justice for All tour in Green Bay with Queensryche as an opener. Then it would be a couple years later at Milwaukee's Summerfest. Instead of Master it would be chants of Die, Die, Die! during Creeping Death (which I have seen may not be on the set list. It damn well better be played tonight!).

Ironically I caught them the last time they came to town a couple years back with Sevendust and Kid Rock on a day just like today. Cold with 2-4 inches of snow expected. That show rocked. The forecast for tonight looks to be the same. Lazers, lights and enough loudness to rock your balls off.

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

We've got several multi-accounters in our little group (ironically a couple ofthe biggest people who call me out for "cheating" which I have never done andwould never do), we've got outright cheaters, liars, colluders, chip dumpers,incessant bad beat complainers, dickheads, losers, annoyingass mofos, you nameit and we have them in our group. But I have gone out of my way not to mentionthose things here because as I've said many times over the past couple of years,I do not want my own personal space on the Internets to be a place for pettyinsults directed at specific individuals that other people will read andpossibly believe as the truth.

Do we really want a BBT 4 knowing this? Actually it isn't that big of a revelation. Others have commented about how prizes have corrupted the tournaments. I thought about blasting Hoy for not pointing these people out but he has his own opinion and in entitled to it. It kind of makes him an accomplice. Those involved in these shenanigans give themselves and Hoy an advantage by doing this. He has inside info on how the play is going down and can avoid it. Exposing the cheats evens the playfield for everyone, especially those (ME!) that need it.

Just an opinion. I could talk about community and how things were done in the good ol' days but Don would just get all grumpy.